Twice Bitten

Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, #3)by Chloe Neill

Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire. (goodreads.com)

This is the Merit I love and adore! Twice Bitten was sassy, funny and full of action. It felt much more like the first book and a lot less like the second. I laughed numerous times while enjoying this story and the action kept my attention much more.I was a little worried about the addition of shifters to the story, however. I tend to start to like a series and then the shifter and/or vampire is introduced later on and suddenly it's all conflict, conflict, conflict, love triangle, conflict, blah, blah blah... but Chloe Neill handled things well and in her own way. I like the paranormal world she's created with her own twist on the lore and it worked for me.Yes, there was conflict, but it was acknowledged from the start and it wasn't your typical vamp/were animosity. There was a history that explained the rift and there were a few on each side that didn't agree.The romance/tension between Merit and Ethan is a little irritating, but I love how strong and snarky she is with him when he needed to be put in his place. That being said, I think the relationship is better without the addition of sex and mushy-gushy whatevers. I guess this wouldn't be urban fantasy without the romance though. As romances go, it's really not that bad and I wasn't subjected to pages and pages of "just so I can write it" sex scenes. Thank goodness.Looks like the fourth book comes out this spring and I will be heading on over to Amazon UK to pick it up you can be sure! I wish I knew why the Book Depository won't let me order it? And yes, I do prefer the UK editions of this series. Something about the covers. Although I have noticed that the North American editions are getting better covers and I am torn between which I like better now. Sticking with the UK eds though to keep my series in uniform!Chicagoland Vampire series

1. Some Girls Bite
2. Friday Night Bites
3. Twice Bitten
4. Hard Bitten
5. Drink Deep
6. Biting Cold
7. House Rules
8. Biting Bad  - August 2013
9. Wild Things - 2014